Shoe attachment.



A. L. LUSSIER.

SHOE ATTACHMENT.

APPLICATION men JAN-14,1916- 1 1 92,542. I Patented July 25, 1916.

mmvrp/r Alphonse LLussner A TTOR/VEYS ALPHONSE LORRAINE LUSSIER, 0F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, rare.

Application filed January 14, 1916. Serial No. 72,065.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALPr-IoNsn L. LUSSIER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Shoe Attachment, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an attachment for laced boots or shoes and other laced articles, to afford means for receiving and securely holding the lace at each side of the opening in the shoe or other article, and of a character to permit of the instant and simultaneous release of the lace from the several lace-receiving holes.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe equipped with my improved means for holding and permitting the quick release thereof; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2*2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front view; and Fig. a is a detail horizontal section on the line H, Fig. 3.

My invention, while applicable to boots, shoes, and other articles employing a lace as a fastener, is more particularly intended for use on ladies boots having a large number of lace-receiving holes. The shoe A may be provided at the lower end of the opening therein with the usual or any approved arrangement of eyelets 10, to receive a lace 11. At the upper portion of the shoe opening, and preferably for about onehalf the length of the opening, I arrange at each side, my improved fastening means.

The fastening means at each side of the opening is the same and includes a casing 12, receiving and forming a guide-way for a slide 13. The casing 12 is secured at the inside of the shoe between the facing and the lining, or between the layers or thicknesses of the material with which the shoe upper or other article is formed, the casing being suitably fastened against displacement so that it will maintain its position while permitting a relative vertical movement of the slide 13.

The casing 12 and the material of the shoe or other article is provided with recesses 11 that extend inwardly from the edge of the material at each side of the opening to be closed by the lace. To effect a closure of the recesses 14L so that the same shall constitute, in effect, holes for receiving the lace 11, the slide 13 is formed with tongues 15 which are bent at approximately a right angle forming resilient lace-holding terminals 16 disposed transversely of the recesses 14 and movable with the slide 13 across the respective recesses to effect a closure thereof or to be moved away from the recesses.

In Figs. 2 and 3 the lace-retaining members 16 are shown disposed across the recesses 1 1 so that the latter are ready to receive the lace in the usual manner.

In Fig. 1 the slides 13 are shown raised and the lace-retaining members 16 Withdrawn from the front of the recesses in which position it will be readily understood no obstruction is offered to the quick release of the lace, sothat the latter can be withdrawn from all the recesses simultaneously, thereby effecting a quick unfastening of the shoe or other article.

The slide 13 is made of a strip of flat steel in practice, to readily respond to flexure of the shoe upper, and the tongues 15, with their terminals 16, will be resilient so as to flex should a pull be exerted on the lace to withdraw it from the recesses 14 before the terminals 16 are completely withdrawn from the closed position. In order to limit the outward movement of the slides 13 in the casing 12, a stop member is provided on the slide or the casing, there being shown for this purpose a protuberance 17 on the slide which has movement in a slot 18 in a side of the casing 12.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. The combination of a shoe having oppositely arranged recesses in the sides of its opening, a casing inclosed in each side and having recesses registering with the recesses of the'shoe, and a slide in each casing and provided with tongues adapted to extend across the outer portion of the said recesses.

2. The combination of a shoe having guide-ways in the sides of its opening and oppositely arranged recesses in the guideways, and a slide mounted in each guide way and provided with tongues adapted to extend across the outer portions of the said recesses.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a lace holding and eleasing device for sho s, con

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence 10 of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALPHONSE LORRAINE LUSSIER.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. Bron, JOHN R. PEROHARD.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for Washington, I). G. r 

